Elementary

• Exploring Maple Syrup Lesson This lesson will aide students in understanding the steps and process of turning maple sap into maple syrup, and using their senses to analyze syrup's qualities.
• How Sweet is Maple Sap? Activity Through this simple to implement activity, students will learn the difference between maple sap and maple syrup.
• Maple Videos Show these short, grade-appropriate videos, illustrating the many aspects of maple production. Seven videos for grades Kindergarten through 6 are available.
• All About Maple Smart Board Activities Interactive presentations and activities about maple are available. Topics include maple geography, tree identification, animals in sugarbush, and more.
• Worksheets Use theses great and easy to use worksheets to help reinforce maple concepts such as weather, ecosystems, the process of syrup production, and more. Available for grades Kindergarten through 6.

Middle School

• Maple Sugar Molecules and Crystals by NH Agriculture in the Classroom Students will learn about what sugar crystals look like on a larger scale and how removing water allows for crystallization by making rock candy.
• Sugar Concentration and Hydrometers by NH Agriculture in the Classroom Students will make and test out their own hydrometer, and use the hydrometer to test the sugar concentration of different grades of maple syrup.
• Forest Farming Videos Cornell University's Dr. Mike Farrell has a collection of 12 short and exceptional videos explaining the many facets of sap collection, reverse osmosis, evaporation, filtering, grading syrup, and more. Highly recommended resource to show your students these engaging and interesting videos.

High School

• Maple Economics by NH Agriculture in the Classroom Students will simulate the relationship between producers and consumers while learning about the maple syrup industry in the United States and its competitors.
• Sugar Concentration and Hydrometers by NH Agriculture in the Classroom Students will make and test out their own hydrometer, and use the hydrometer to test the sugar concentration of different grades of maple syrup.
• Forest Farming Videos Cornell University's Dr. Mike Farrell has a collection of 12 short and exceptional videos explaining the many facets of sap collection, reverse osmosis, evaporation, filtering, grading syrup, and more. Highly recommended resource to show your students these engaging and interesting videos.

Identifying Maple Trees

For students and educators who would like to tap into this annual contest, fall is a great time to identify maple trees. The magnificent orange and red hues are the first clue a tree is in the Acer family. To identify the different maple species, one must take a closer look at their leaves.

The most desired tree for tapping for maple syrup production is the sugar maple as its sap contains higher sugar content compared to other trees. With its five lobed smooth sided leaves, the lobes of the sugar maple are very pronounced and connect in "U shaped valleys".

If sugar maples are not available, red, black, silver, Norway, and boxelder maples can also be used. These Acers have five lobed leaves somewhat similar to the sugar maple, yet the leaves edges are jagged and terminate in "V shaped valleys" or the lobes are much less pronounced.

Once maple trees are identified and determined to be larger enough to tap, these trees can either be marked with a spot of spray paint or "flagged" with surveyor tape to be easily identified later in the winter when trees are bare.

For help identifying maple trees you can consider contacting your local DEC office or reach out to maple producers in your community. The Cornell Maple Syrup Production Beginner's Notebook  can be used to learn about each step of maple syrup production.